Children & Family Ministries
Children help us know what the kingdom of God looks like.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them.’”
Our Core Values:
All children are beloved and are special to God. All means all.
Loving God and loving neighbor are central to who we are.
Children are present-day disciples, not just future ones!
An everyday faith that shapes every part of our lives matters.
Our Core Practices:
Offering hands-on, age-appropriate ways for children to encounter God
Serving our neighbors and participating in God’s dream for the world
Nurturing space for children to be full participants and leaders in the life of the Church
Supporting families so they can build faith-filled homes and holy rhythms
Sunday Mornings for West Market Kids
Worship
We believe worship is one of the greatest gifts we can share with our West Market kids! In just one hour, kids can experience God’s presence through music, scripture, religious symbols, preaching, prayer, sacraments, sharing our gifts, and community. As fellow parents, though, we know that sitting in a pew isn’t always the best fit for kiddos to grow and learn, so we have created extra-special Prayground spaces for families to worship together!
Prayground
For those with wiggles and happy feet, a Prayground is an engaging place for families to worship together on Sunday mornings. The space is supplied with a rug, quiet toys, books, puzzles, drawing materials, and other tangible ways for children to spend time with God and is available in both the Fellowship Hall for our 9 am Modern Worship and the Sanctuary for our 11 am Traditional Worship. If desired, Nursery care remains available for our littlest ones (age 0-4) during both worship services in Room 224.
Nursery
Our paid nursery staff offer experienced, warm Christian care each Sunday for children birth through age 4 in Room 224 during both the 9:00 and 11:00 worship services. At 10:00, our littlest ones also enjoy Bible stories, songs, and activities in Room 224.
Faith Formation
On Sunday mornings at 10am, each week we seek to connect our faith to our lives in meaningful and exciting ways through Bible stories, art, games, movement, music, prayer, and more! Ages 0-3 meet in the nursery (Room 224), PreK-2nd grade meets in Room 304D, and 3rd-5th grade meets in Room 304B.
See What's Happening
Take a look through our events now or download our calendar to take on the go. Interested in receiving our Children & Family Ministries weekly email update? Sign up below
Ways to Serve
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Families SERVE
Opportunities for families with children to serve together across generations. Meets about 1-2x a month, often on Sunday afternoons.
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We believe children are present-day disciples, not just future ones. It is our joy to find ways for children to lead us in worship as acolytes, scripture readers, communion servers, and more.
Serve at Worship
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A 3-day summer experience for rising 3rd-5th graders to serve, learn, and be a part of God’s work in the world. Each day focuses on a particular justice issue and includes field trips to local organizations where we participate and learn about that work.
Go SERVE
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Interested in helping serve in our Children & Family Ministries? We have a number of serving opportunities available. All volunteers are asked to complete our Safe Sanctuaries training.
Adult & Youth Volunteering
Frequently Asked Questions
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Research shows that children being in communal worship is the strongest indicator for future church participation in adulthood. Worship is one of the basic ways people learn what it means to be a Christian.
Worship gives us a glimpse of God’s great big love here and now. When children participate, they are able to experience God’s vision for us as people of faith.
Being fully present in worship gives more space for children to lead in worship as readers, acolytes, ushers, greeters, as the body of Christ is incomplete without their gifts!
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For younger children, we invite parents to sit in the space with their children. For older children, parents may want to sit in the nearby vicinity, as the prayground will not be staffed by volunteers.
Some children might do well sitting in their seats until a certain part of the service and then moving to the prayground to let their wiggles out or to enhance their engagement. Our hope is that it provides space and tools for families to meaningfully encounter God in worship together.
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Accessibility is important to us! If your child has a special need, please contact rachel@westmarketchurch.org so that we can learn how we can best partner with you.
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We seek to provide a safe and sacred environment for all participants, including our children, youth, and vulnerable adults. To that end, our congregation adheres to Safe Sanctuaries policies which include volunteer screening procedures, training, supervision, and communication protocols. To learn more about Safe Sanctuaries and how you can get certified, click here.
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At West Market Street United Methodist Church, we believe providing high-quality early childhood education is one way we can work for justice in the world. Learn more about our amazing, 5-star, licensed Early Childhood Center at this link.
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Four times a year, we deliver bags filled with items to help you incorporate simple, fun, and meaningful ways to spend time with God in your everyday lives. And once a year, we provide a developmentally-appropriate, faith-based book to add to your at-home library!
Meet Rachel D. Benton, Our Director of Children & Family Ministries
A native of Winston-Salem and a life-long United Methodist, Rachel is a graduate of Wofford College (BA in Religion & History) and Duke Divinity School (Master of Divinity with a Certificate in Christian Education) with over 15 years of professional experience in Children’s Ministry and Family Faith Formation. Most recently, Rachel has served as a contributing writer for Building Faith (an online Christian Education resource), and as a consultant for congregations who needed remote support for their children and family ministries during the pandemic and moving forward in this new expanded context for ministry.